People

James Close

Director,
Climate Change Group

James Close, a UK national, brings over 25 years of experience in the field of energy policy, climate change, and private infrastructure investment and public-private partnerships. During his career in the professional services industry, he provided strategic and financial advice to a range of public and private sector clients at board and ministerial levels. He has also undertaken a two-year secondment as head of the Corporate and Private Finance team at the UK's Treasury, where he gained experience with the challenges facing governments in trying to establish a suitable enabling environment for private sector investment.

Mr. Close has advised the UK government on the comparative advantage for the UK for green growth and also on many energy policy areas, including the 2006 Energy Review, incentives for investments in renewables, and smart metering and the Green Deal, the UK’s initiative to increase investment in energy efficiency. He advised the Greater London Authority on its climate change and environment policy and prepared the prospectus for London as a Low-Carbon Capital for the mayor of London. At Ernst and Young, he led the Climate Change and Sustainability Services cross-service line practice creating a plan to develop a market-leading business.

He has also advised many utilities throughout the world, including Ireland, Greece, Slovakia, the United States, and India, on restructuring, regulation, competition, and corporate and market strategy.

Mr. Close, a chartered accountant, joined the World Bank Group in 2013 as the program manager for PPIAF, a multi-donor trust fund which enables infrastructure investment.